


Scars On Our Future Hearts

by c0cunt



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Getting Back Together, Happy Ending, M/M, Post-Break Up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-27
Updated: 2017-11-27
Packaged: 2019-02-07 13:02:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,804
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12841725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/c0cunt/pseuds/c0cunt
Summary: Shiro....Well, he hasn't been.  At the top of his game.  Not at all, not for a few months.But, when Keith asks to meet up with him, there's no way Shiro can say no.





	Scars On Our Future Hearts

**Author's Note:**

> lemme just put right here, that 
> 
> THIS FIC WILL PROBABLY NOT MAKE SENSE IF YOU HAVEN'T READ [4TH OF JULY.](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11862999)
> 
> THIS FIC IS A SEQUEL TO THE FIC LINKED ABOVE.
> 
> (me, self-promoting on my own fics - lmao)

Shiro just.  Could not face the day.  He had slept so pitifully the night before, mind running itself in ragged circles, past mistakes gleefully tripping him up every time his tired eyelids pressed together for more than half a second.  Past arguments that he had new solutions for, pleas that wouldn't  change Keith's insistence…Shiro barely acknowledged the simple chime of an incoming text, until a second later it clicked that it was  _ Keith’s _ text tone.  Shiro hadn't moved faster in the past two weeks, wobbling dangerously from the bout of dizziness that threatened to floor him, breathlessly unlocking his phone to read the text.

 

_ Keith - we should talk. can u meet me @ the park? _

 

Anxiety and happiness warred in Shiro's guts, and he wasn't sure which made him want to throw up more.   _ Keith _ wanted to meet up.  It had been almost a  _ month _ since he had seen the other man, handed him the last of the other's possessions that Shiro had carefully guarded and clung to...Suspiciousness crawled up his spine, wondering what had prompted Keith's idea:  Was it an impulsive decision, or had he been sitting on it for awhile?  Shiro drummed his fingers against his bedspread, frowning as he tried to puzzle out the thoughts of the man he used to know so well.  He knew his answer, though, rolling out of bed slowly as he asked what time Keith had in mind.

 

_ Keith - asap? sorry _

 

Eyebrows firmly raised into his hairline, Shiro scrambled for his keys and some sort of footwear.

  
  
  


Shiro regretted his decision the instant he threw his car into park.  Keith hadn't told him where to find him in the park, but there were more than a few places to check.  A group of benches by the tennis courts, the shady patch of grass that was perfectly shaded by a trio of trees, the larger of two sets of swings...At least he hadn't seen Keith nervously shifting by the park’s sign like he had last time they met.  Taking a deep breath as he slid out of his car, Shiro tentatively headed towards the closest potential spot: The larger set of swings.

 

It was only when gravel crunched underfoot, and Shiro flinched as he clearly felt it against his feet, that he realized he was still in his sleep clothes.  His feet were barely protected by the thin slippers he had scrambled into, but there was no going back - Shiro _ had  _ to speak with Keith.  So he set his face against the discomfort, and lengthened his stride as the swings came into view.  The swing set was empty, no one with Keith's vague shape nearby, but Shiro barely paused as he headed towards the little shaded spot between the trees, ignoring the curious looks that some of the kids and their parents hanging around sent his way.

 

The phone in Shiro's pocket buzzed in a way that matched his mood - quiet and somehow nervous.  The shady spot wasn't just  _ any _ spot, even if it looked that way to an outsider.  It had been where he and Keith had their first date, after coming out.  (Their actual first date together had been spent in Shiro’s basement, watching TV while nervously holding hands and watching the stairs in case Shiro’s mom decided to check in on them.)  It had been an admittedly stupid picnic, with store bought sandwiches and a too-small towel because Shiro didn't bring a blanket.  But Keith had looked so pleasantly surprised when Shiro stopped him and set everything down, that the minor stress Shiro had felt while preparing slid away quickly.  Even though Shiro knew  _ exactly _ which patch of grass to go to, that didn't stop him from looking between every tree.  He paused for a second when he realized that the little clearing spot was occupied by another couple, before turning in the direction of the tennis courts, trying to ignore the small burn of jealousy towards the couple that was clearly having a good time.

 

There were five tables that sat near the tennis courts - two of them were completely shaded by the nearby concession stand and bathrooms, and the others were usually burning hot to the touch.  But, it was still a...Shit.  Shiro stopped as he tried to figure out what day it was, frantically going over what his schedule had been the day before.  He wanted to say that today was Thursday, one of his few days off, which would also explain the near emptiness of the park.  The shaded benches were probably still taken, but at least there was the hope that they weren't.  Shiro started walking again, squinting against bright sunlight to try and see if Keith was sitting there.

 

The unshaded benches were unoccupied, as usual.  One of the benches in the shade was crammed full of rowdy teenagers, who probably had nothing better to do as they skipped school.  The second shaded bench-

 

Keith was there.  Sitting stock still, arms pulled tight around his chest, eyes downcast.  Shiro's heart thumped happily, as he slowly approached.  Keith's hair was even longer than it had been last time Shiro had seen the other man, messy as if he'd been running his hands through it nervously.  There was an unbrushed, slightly greasy look to it, that made Shiro worry if Keith was taking care of himself.  His red jacket was missing, instead he was swamped in a too-large sweatshirt, but his pants and boots were still the same.   _ Keith _ was still the same, and Shiro approached him with care, his stomach flipping and spinning aggressively with nerves.

 

“Mind if I join you?” Shiro asked softly, standing a few feet to Keith's left, not wanting to startle him.  Keith jumped anyway, and Shiro felt his heart stop for just a second when Keith's eyes landed on him, shining happily if only for a moment before turning serious.

 

“I asked you here.  Definitely, here,” Keith scrambled over himself to scoot further along the bench, patting the space next to him for Shiro.  Tempting, but Shiro wanted to look at Keith's face.  He settled across from Keith, back to the teenagers, and silently hoped they weren't the kind to start roughhousing and knock into his back.  Keith blinked at him slowly, as his arms unfolded and reached across the table towards Shiro, hesitating halfway across.

 

“I had an epiphany, last night,” Keith confessed, looking up at Shiro with a slight smile that slowly turned into a frown as he continued.  “I realized, that even  _ if, _ somehow, I was able to get us both to be more functional separate...Why should I force us to now?  All that I've done is cause us both to be hurt so much more than either of us needed...I'm so sorry, Shiro.”

 

Shiro stared, as Keith slumped down across the table, leaning forward into his space.  There had been so many times he had dreamed of Keith coming back and apologizing, of them both reaching a compromise that  _ worked, _ but this...Shiro couldn’t wrap his head around it.  So he blinked slowly, watching as Keith curled up a little tighter, watching the other man’s eyes water as the silence stretched on, before Keith choked out a question.

 

“Please...Let me come home, Shiro?”

 

Shiro sucked in a deep breath, and gripped the bench he was sitting on hard enough to turn his knuckles white.  Every fiber of his being was screaming for Keith to come home, aside from the tiny bit of his heart that was still bruised and battered; the tiny bit of his brain that was nervous about trusting Keith again.  And,  _ god, _ did it hurt, just thinking about saying no to Keith.

 

“I...I want you to come home.”  The joy that spread across Keith’s face nearly made Shiro shut up, but his mouth was spilling like an overflowing sink, before he could stop himself.  “But, god, Keith...You just ran away on me.  You told me not to contact you.  You left me.  How can I trust you not to hurt me like that again?”  Shiro begged softly.  Keith’s face fell faster than a dropped brick, and he stared at the table for a moment, hard.  The table behind them was surprisingly quiet now.

 

“I...I’m so sorry, Shiro,” Keith whispered at the table, a hand raising to scrub viciously at his damp eyes.  “I  _ never _ wanted to hurt you like I did, you  _ have _ to believe me on that.”  And Shiro  _ did _ believe him.  Before Shiro could say anything though, Keith started to stand up, still not meeting his gaze.  Shiro flailed out, grabbing at Keith’s hand before he could get too far away.

 

“Keith, wait, please,” Shiro begged, gesturing for him to sit down.  Keith slowly collapsed back onto the bench, eyes wet and wary as he waited for Shiro to speak, the whole park holding its breath.

 

“I want you to come home,” Shiro repeated, firmly, before continuing.  “I won’t be able to trust you like I did, how we were before.  But...We can get back to that, one day.  Maybe years from now.  But I’m willing to put in the effort, if you’re willing to do the same.”

 

Keith let out a rattling breath, shoulders shaking, as he met Shiro’s unwavering gaze.  “After all I’ve done to hurt you?  To hurt  _ us?” _  He asked, with an almost disbelieving laugh.  Shiro nodded, and reached out his hands tentatively for Keith’s, who placed his hands in Shiro’s without hesitation.  

 

“Of course.  It might not’ve been...That good an idea, but it was done with the best of intentions.  It’ll be good to have you back, at the house.”  Shiro said softly, and Keith looked like he was going to cry, as he scrambled out of his seat.  Fearing that he was leaving, Shiro scooted to the edge of the bench, letting out a grunt of surprise as he gained a lapful of Keith.

 

“It’ll be good to be back,” Keith mumbled into Shiro’s collar bone, smearing sweat and tears into the thin fabric of Shiro’s sleepwear.  Shiro wrapped his arms around Keith, one hand petting Keith’s definitely greasy hair as the other looped around his waist, surprised by the sudden wetness on his own face as it dripped down onto Keith’s sweatshirt.

 

“...Gay.”  One of the teenagers at the table behind them said flatly, followed immediately by a yelp and a thud as the one that had spoken was shoved off the bench.  Shiro huffed out the tiniest of laughs as he encouraged Keith to stand up, gently wiping underneath the other man’s eyes when he lifted his head.

 

“Let’s get your stuff and go home, yeah?”  Shiro said encouragingly.  Keith bobbed his head slightly, a hand already reaching for Shiro’s own, eager to finally head home.

**Author's Note:**

> i wanted to write a resolution for the 4th of July boys, that didn't leave ashes in my mouth
> 
> on a completely different note: when i wrote in the group of teenagers skipping school, my brain automatically filled in the 104th from Attack On Titan. And supplied Jean as the one who spoke and got knocked off the bench.


End file.
